Concrete pond: Can it be revived? Should it?

[albobaggins]

Hi folks,

I've just moved into a property that has an existing concrete pond and I'm not sure what to do with it (I bet you've all heard that before). Here are a couple of pics:
From the front looking to the back:

From the back looking to the front:

This is after I removed all of the plants from inside and peeled back the growth from the edge. It's on average about 20ft across, and in the second picture you can see at the front edge it gets five feet deep. The ledges on the right/left and back sides are 8-12 inches deep, but there is probably about 8 inches of dirt and debris covering most of that in the picture.

The woman who built it says that it leaked when she lived there, and I think that was probably ten years ago. When I inspect the wall edge, it looks like it isn't more than 4 inches thick. Underneath, I'm guessing is a red clay subsoil. From what I understand, this is a recipe for cracked concrete.

After I get all the debris cleaned out, what is the most DIY conducive way to revive this pond? After looking around the forums, i get the feeling that attempting to reseal the concrete with quickrete or silicone, epoxy or whatever, is a bad idea since it will likely crack more in the future. What about sealing the sides and bottom with bentonite? Is bentonite ever used on top of concrete? The thing I want to avoid, but am starting to think is unavoidable is installing a liner. I like the aesthetics of the concrete and the rocky ledges so I'd hate to lose that, but what choice to I have really? If I install a liner, is it possible to cut away at it to leave the rock in the middle exposed? Or is that a recipe for disaster?

Thanks for checking it out. I look forward to any and all bright ideas!

 

[sissy]

I would guess remove it because if it leaked bad and you put a rubber liner in it it could cut through the liner with all the odd shapes it has and different depths .Since there is not a thick layer of concrete it should not be to hard .You could spend big money to recoat it but will it last ,that would be up in the air .Come winter and it freezes you may have more problems and then come spring thaw even more problems (MAYBE )I don't think you could leave the rock in the center with a liner because the cement will move a little with freeze and thaw .Not sure anything would seal it good

 

[sissy]

by the way welcome but maybe you want bigger and 1 single depth

 

[Mmathis]

Welcome! Where do you live?

Gee, yep, this does come up quite a bit! No "real" opinions from me -- I'd go for pull it out and start over, using an EPDM liner. You could reshape any parts that you didn't like. At least you have a starting point. Is it concrete all the way, or just on the shelf areas? Hard to tell. Nice size, though, and lots of potential.

 

[albobaggins]

Welcome! Where do you live?

I live near Athens, GA. There isn't enough cold for the ground to freeze most of the time, but it isn't out of the question.

 

[Dave 54]

The problem with neglected concrete ponds is they often crack and have leaks as TurtleMommy has said your best bet is to use a liner to form your new pond using the concrete on as a template

Dave

 

[dieselplower]

Remove the concrete and throw down a liner. Or, fill the entire thing with dirt and plant grass seed.

 

[j.w]

albobaggins
That rock in the pond looks huge. I was gonna say you could put a liner in after you get that rock out but wow, how you gonna get it out? If you have any sharp edges that might crack in the concrete the liner over it might not be good. Think you are gonna have to take all that concrete out or put a ton of padding over it before the liner goes in. You can use old carpet free of tacks or staples, blankets, sand under the liner bottom anything soft to help keep the liner safe from holes.

 

[Tula]

Welcome to our friendly forum